Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Jeapes welcomed everyone to the meeting and officers and members introduced themselves.  The procedure for the conduct of the meeting was outlined.

Apologies were received from Councillor Graham.

Councillor Ibrahim substituted for Councillor Graham.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b) Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c) Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d) Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e) Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f) Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g) Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest, although Councillor Ibrahim noted for the record that they were a ward councillor for the application site in Item B1.

The order of business would be as per the agenda. …

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on the 8^th October 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

The Licensing Officer was asked to report any additional updates. In response, the Sub Committee were informed that the application was as submitted, but that additional references in support of the applicant had been circulated and that while representations had been made, it was not indicated that any of them would be in attendance.

The Chair noted that there were no interested parties in attendance and moved to request that the applicant presented their key points.

The applicant stated that they had been living in the local area for several years, in which time they had run the business successfully. The applicant further stated that they were well known locally and was a presence on-site seven days a week, that they kept bees at a neighbouring community project and that they were seeking to diversify the offer available among the shops in the locality, stating that they wish to stock products that were not as readily found in the other businesses. The applicant stated that this included expanding the offer of Asian, vegan and locally supplied craft beers, wine and other products that the differentiated from the standard market offering.

The Sub Committee asked the applicant whether this premises would constitute a third establishment for the business, as there were other stores of the same name around the area, and what the overall vision for the business was. In response, the applicant clarified that they had originally envisaged a chain of stores but was now solely focused on the Blackstock Road operation and that this unit would be the second for this owner. The applicant further stated that while there were Cinnamon Village stores in the borough, there was no ongoing connection to them; the applicant stating that these were being run independently of their operation by former business partners.

The Sub Committee asked the applicant why they sought to stock alcohol. In response, the applicant stated that they wanted to try something new by stocking quality, unique products.

The applicant stated that they held an alcohol licence in the café since it had opened and had not encountered any incidents. The applicant also stated that they had and would continue to adhere to matchday conditions.

In summing up, the Legal Representative for the applicant stated that they recommended the Sub Committee granted the licence as put forward.

RESOLVED

1)     That the application for a new premises licence, in respect of  Cinnamon Village Whole Foods, 158 Blackstock Road, London, N5 1HA, be granted to allow:-

a)    The sale of alcohol which may be consumed off the premises Monday to Sunday from 9am to 11pm.

b)    To permit the opening hours for the premises to be Monday to Sunday from 730am to 11pm.

2)     That conditions outlined in appendix 3 and detailed on page 11 to 13 of the agenda be applied to the licence.

REASONS FOR DECISION

The Sub-Committee listened to all the evidence and submissions and read all the material. The Sub-Committee reached the decision having considered the Licensing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

The Licensing Officer was asked to report any additional updates. In response, the Sub Committee was told that the application was as presented and that there was one resident representation of which there had been no indication received that they would be in attendance.

The Chair noted that there were no interested parties in attendance and moved to request that the applicant presented their key points.

The applicant stated that their business was food focused, selling tacos, burritos and other Mexican foods; that alcohol is ancillary to the business and that they currently rent an additional unit in front of theirs for seating and customer circulation. The applicant further stated that alcohol was only sold with food, that additional alcohol could not be ordered without a meal, and that the request to sell off premises was just to enable customers to take unopened alcohol with them.

The applicant also stated that they sufficiently staffed to monitor their small space of operation and that there were twenty-five seats in the additional area but that they needed till system to help control the flow of food. The applicant stated that they expected the same customer base should the licence be granted.

The applicant noted that the Nags Head Market had a sizable social media presence and while that had bought in some new patronage, it was not to the degree that it had caused any major issues, and the conditions for the market site overall was strict regarding customer flow. The applicant stated that the business had a majority Mexican clientele but that this was becoming more diverse and that in terms of alcohol offering, was seeking to stock beverages that complemented meals such as cocktails.

The applicant also stated that they currently hold a personal licence, had ensured staff were trained and refreshed and was seeking to have more of their team hold personal licences to ensure the licensing objectives were met and enable greater flexibility. The applicant stated that to date they had not had any incidents in relation to their operation.

The Sub Committee asked how many staff were employed as part of the operation to which the applicant responded that they were five including themselves.

The Sub Committee sought clarification on the additional rented unit, to which the applicant stated that this was for the purpose of seating and queue management, to minimise disruption to other traders in the vicinity. 

The applicant stated that as far as they were aware, they were the only establishment on the ground floor of the market permitted to sell alcohol, and the only other licensed premises for this within the market was the Upper Place.

The Sub Committee asked the applicant about their matchday operations, to which the applicant stated that while there was some additional patronage, it was not significant, and that the location of the market was slightly out of place in relation to the stadium for it to be so.

In summing up, the applicant stated that they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.